


Second Chance Chocolates

by Straya



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Dezel Lives AU, F/M, Forgiveness, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22726387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straya/pseuds/Straya
Summary: There's a holiday for lovers in Ladylake known as "Courting Day." Dezel's not having any of it, but of course Rose has other plans...(Just a quick something I typed up for Valentine's Day this year!)
Relationships: Dezel/Rose (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Second Chance Chocolates

There was a sort of holiday taking place in Ladylake and Dezel wasn't having any part of it, half because he deemed it pointless to partake in festivities designed especially for lovers and half because said festivities were just another way for merchants to make a few quick gald. They called it “Courting Day”, something a savvy business type had come up with several years back and turned into an opportunity to sell chocolates and flowers to folks who were looking to either ask out that special someone or to refresh and rekindle their relationship with their current partner. Not that the holiday required a full-blown festival of any kind, but there were still plenty of Courting Day displays in shop windows and more people than usual in the streets peddling flower bouquets tied with pretty, flowing ribbons.

Rose, of course, had been all over this opportunity weeks earlier; the Sparrowfeathers were running a sale on sweet buns, candies, and jewelry, cheerfully taking advantage of the holiday a few days before it even arrived. Despite Dezel's attitude regarding the lovey-dovey holiday and all the sentimental crap that came along with it, he couldn't express his distaste toward the idea of his own family making some extra cash. They did have to earn their living, after all. Still, the holiday itself was...annoying.

Not that Dezel wanted to admit why he felt that way, not to himself and not to any of the others when they asked. Not even when Edna jabbed him with her parasol over all the extra scowling he'd been doing lately. But of course, the truth was that Dezel knew that despite the holiday, he could never bring himself to use it or any other occasion to tell the one he loved how he felt.

Rose deserved better than him. Better than someone who had used her for purposes of revenge. Certainly, they had talked about it. Certainly, he apologized for it when they'd both nearly lost their lives in Pendrago because of his poor choices. Rose had been upset with him for a time, as expected, but eventually, their relationship had fallen back into something similar to what it had been before, though with Dezel more careful than usual to keep his distance unless Rose needed his help with something. She watched him now and then with curious glances and would occasionally try to elbow him a bit in good humor, trying to get him to respond to a little ribbing here and there, but he remained distant and melancholy. 

The dead had meant more to him than the living, and so the living deserved better. Even though he now recognized his mistakes and knew he should have done better. Knew that he should have placed his love for Rose above his anger and hate. Everything was his fault, anyway, and he would never be more than a cursed seraph who wasn't much good to anyone, so why bother.

And that was why Rose's request that morning – the morning of Courting Day – surprised him.

“Hey, Dezel, can you help me with something?”

She was gazing up at him with those impossibly blue eyes. He would feel her hopeful expression on the stirring air currents; she was up to something. Dezel reached up with one hand to adjust his top hat, feeling unsettled already.

“What do you need? It doesn't have something to do with this damn holiday, does it?”

“Mm, it might,” she admitted with a shrug. “I wanted to borrow the inn kitchen to make some chocolates, but...well, you know. I've never been that great with handling chocolate.”

Dezel sighed. “Yeah, I know. It's difficult for a lot of folks, though.”

“Sooo, will you give me a hand?”

“Why should I?”

“Because you don't want me to accidentally set a borrowed kitchen on fire?”

Dezel frowned. Rose must really want to make her attempt count otherwise she wouldn't be openly admitting to how much of a disaster in the kitchen she could be without aid. Still, all of this was probably for some guy in town who'd caught her eye. Or maybe an “ally-with-benefits” Rose wanted to impress so she could have someone to take to bed later that night. The thought made Dezel's stomach churn.

“Can't one of the others help you?”

“Probably not. Sorey and Mikleo are way too pre-occupied with each other, Zaveid dragged Lailah off somewhere for...something...and you know how Edna gets about this stuff.”

“As if I don't get the same way...”

Rose frowned, pulling on a pouting tone. “I know, I know! But you're so good in the kitchen and we're supposed to be partners, right? In battle and in...cooking?”

Dezel folded his arms across his chest and turned partially away so it would be harder to see the disappointment trying to creep into his expression. “I don't think that's how that works. Besides, we've been over this... We're not really partners.”

“Dezel, please? We've already talked about all that and besides, it's definitely not like you're my last choice here, asking for help. If anything, you're the first!”

Ah, Lords. She really wasn't going to give up, was she? Dezel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand. Rose edged a bit closer, trying to move around him so she could peer up at him with pleading eyes. She really was going to be the death of him, even if it just meant making his poor heart so weak it would eventually stop...

“Fine. I'll help you. _But_ you have to follow my instructions exactly so we get it all right the first time. And I don't want to hear about whatever it is you intend to do with all that chocolate.”

“Yay, awesome! You got yourself a deal, Dezel!” Taking him by one hand, Rose began to pull him toward the room door so they could head downstairs to the inn kitchen. “Now come on, time's a-wasting!”

Dezel grumbled as he was hauled along but otherwise, made no other protests. Making chocolates was certainly now how he expected to spend the majority of his day, but... Well, the things you did for love sometimes.

* * *

Dezel sat on one of the beds in the inn room, carefully cleaning the medallions on his top hat. It was late in the evening and everyone else was out, spending time with one another before the holiday's end. Dezel had no reason to be out, of course, and he had needed the time to clean up some of his gear after helping Rose in the kitchen for the better part of the day. How chocolate had ended up on his hat even after he'd set it carefully aside was a mystery to him, but then again cooking with Rose usually meant that food somehow ended up everywhere, anyway. The kitchen itself had taken far too long to clean up and once Dezel was done with his current task, all he wanted was to go to sleep and forget Courting Day this year had ever happened.

Just as he finished rubbing down the last medallion with a soft cloth, there was a knock at the door. Dezel didn't bother to look up or say anything; whoever was on the other side could either leave and come back when either Sorey or Rose were around, or peer in to see who was about (a useless effort for anyone who wasn't resonant, really). A few seconds passed and the door opened, revealing Rose on the other side. She'd swiftly cleaned herself up earlier and gone out for a bit, much to Dezel's relief. But now that she was back, Dezel wondered if maybe _he_ should clear out for a while.

“Hey, Dezel?” She slipped inside, a cloth bag grasped carefully in both hands. “Can we talk a minute?”

His look of uncertainty must have been a bit too obvious. Dezel worked to put on a frown and got up from the bed, putting his hat back on his head.

“Actually, I was just leaving. We can talk later, Rose.”

Undeterred, Rose shut the door behind her. Not that it would necessarily keep a wind seraph in effectively, but Dezel supposed she was trying to make the gesture count.

“But why not now? Are you mad at me for the mess in the kitchen, earlier?”

“I expected the mess, both there and on myself. So no, not really.”

“Then why–“

“Shouldn't you be out with the others? Or giving that chocolate you worked so hard on to its intended recipient?” Dezel couldn't quite keep the bitter tone from his voice.

“That's...actually what I'm trying to do.” Rose stepped closer and reached into the cloth bag. She pulled out a decorated box, deep green in color, with a pink ribbon tied about it. There was a single red rose pinned to the ribbon. She held it out to Dezel, her expression turning rather sheepish.

The air stirred in uncertainty as Dezel stared at the offering, feeling his heart trying to climb up into his throat. “What... But why? What is this?”

“I wanted to make chocolates for you, dummy!” Rose shot back, her cheeks flushing pink. “I knew they'd be better than anything store-bought, even anything the other Sparrowfeathers could make. And these things always mean more when the person giving them makes them, right? I just didn't want to mess it up. And make sure it'd be something you'd approve of. So...it was natural to ask you to tell me what to do in making them so they'd turn out right, you know?”

Rose pushed the box into Dezel's hands. He stood there, dumbfounded, hands trembling a little. Part of him wanted to shove the box back at her or toss it away; he didn't deserve this, even if he'd had a hand in making the content of the box. But part of him also couldn't bear to disappoint Rose more than he already had before.

“I... I don't...” He was at a loss for words and he hated himself for not having the strength to do anything other than standing there like a fool.

“You...were always my favorite, even before...you know,” Rose admitted quietly, lowering her own gaze. “I always felt like we connected, more than I did with any of the others. Granted, I understand why that is now, but I don't think that takes away from our connection at all.”

“Rose, you shouldn't feel like that toward me. The things I've done–“

“The things you did were because our family was hurt and you wanted justice! Dezel, I've had weeks upon weeks to think this over and I've realized that yeah, you screwed up a lot, but it wasn't because you're a terrible person! You almost died trying to fix things in Pendrago, saving me, and I... I'm tired of feeling like there's this uncomfortable distance between us, anymore.”

Dezel sat down heavily on the bed, his legs suddenly too weak to hold him up. He swallowed thickly, wanting to set the box of chocolates aside, but unable to get his vice-like grip on the package to let up. Rose moved closer, sensing the problem, and gently took the box from his hands so she could set it on the bedside table.

“You can tell me over and over how much I shouldn't want this – how much I shouldn't want to be near you – but that doesn't change how I feel, Dezel. I want to get to know you better. Get to know the seraph who's always had my back, who looks at me the way no one else ever does.” Carefully, Rose set a hand on his cheek and urged him to tilt his head up so she could take off his hat and brush his bangs aside. Dezel shivered under her touch but made no move to stop her. Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss against his forehead. “I care about you and I know you care about me. You wouldn't worry about as much as you do if you didn't. But you have to trust me to make my own choices, okay? And trust that this is something I want to try. Something I want to try _with you._ ”

Dezel could barely swallow as he nodded mutely, his heart threatening to choke him where it beat up within his throat. “...yeah, I trust you.”

“Granted, if you really don't want this, I'll leave it alone. I'm not going to force you into anything, either.”

“No, I... I do... I want this.” His voice was so quiet, he could barely hear himself. But Rose's fond smile told him that she had heard him. “I just didn't think it was right or that it would work.”

“Whether it will or won't is just something we'll have to figure out together, right? That's what partners do, isn't it?”

“Yeah... Yeah, I guess it is.”

Rose kissed his forehead again before hugging him tightly, pressing his head to her chest with one hand. Dezel crumbled beneath her touch, leaning into her and embracing her in return.

Forgotten for the moment, the box of chocolates continued to sit on the bedside table. But they'd kept for most of the day and would certainly keep a little longer.


End file.
